Unrequited Love
by BLUEanimeGIRL025
Summary: This takes place throughout the DNAngel story, but from Satoshi’s POV. So Daisuke changes into Dark when he feels his love for Risa... ever wondered if things might work similarly for Satoshi? DaiXXSatoshi NiwaXXHiwatari yaoi shonen ai
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **__yeah yeah, I don't own DNAngel and all that jazz_

_**Summary:**__ This takes place throughout the story, but from Satoshi's POV._

_So Daisuke changes into Dark when he feels his love for Risa... ever wondered if things might work similarly for Satoshi?_

_He doesn't mean to be in love with Daisuke..._

* * *

It happened by accident. Actually, he wasn't even sure anymore how it happened. All his life, Satoshi had known that he must find and capture Dark, so after graduating college at such a young age, it was only natural that he attend school with Daisuke Niwa - the one with Dark within him. At first, he only saw Niwa as the enemy, knowing that one day, Dark would arise, and so would _his_ other half as well - Krad. He hadn't known back then, you see, how evil Krad truly was. So, in the beginning, they were actually on the same side. They had to be.

But soon, things became... different. Satoshi found that he actually enjoyed watching Niwa. The boy was so clumsy, and kind of annoying sometimes, but amusing as well. He remembered the first day they spoke. They were in gym. Since Satoshi had already graduated, he didn't have to actually participate if he didn't want to, so he sat on the side lines and watched while everybody else had fun. That was alright though, he was used to being a loner, and was perfectly content with it. He _was _alone - that was just the way things were, and there was no use in trying to hide or deny it.

It was badminton day. Hit the birdie over the net. Simple enough. Childs play, he thought. He watched idly as the class played at their separate nets, laughing as they as they ran about and swung their rackets. _Why would I want to play that stupid game anyway?_ But he wished he didn't sound so resentful.

Suddenly, a birdie landed near him, and bounced over to his feet. He looked at it for a moment, and then bent to pick it up. When he looked up again, he was surprised to see Daisuke Niwa himself standing there in front of him. Out of breath and panting a little, the redhead laughed and said, "Sorry." Satoshi silently handed the birdie back to him. "Hey, don't you wanna play?" Niwa's expression became quizzical. In his mind, Satoshi scoffed. _He looks like such a space head when he makes that face..._ But the words didn't have much heart in them.

He started to say "No, I'd rather not," but then one of the people on Niwa's team shouted, "Hey Daisuke! Bring your friend over here to play with us, we need an extra player!"

"Um... Okay!" Daisuke called back. "You're Satoshi Hiwatari, right?" Daisuke asked with a smile. "The new kid?"

Satoshi found himself a little taken aback. "Uh... yeah."

"Come on, you don't have to sit way out here all day. You can be on our team."

And just like that, Satoshi had taken his first major step away from his tragic fate. Because you see, befriending one of the Niwa family, that was _definitely_ a step away from the Hikari fate. Not that he thought of it that way at first, of course. That day, playing on Daisuke's badminton team, was the very first day that Satoshi experienced what could be called... having fun. When he first went to serve the little birdie over the net, and instead managed to accidentally hit Daisuke on the back of the head, he couldn't help but double over laughing. He'd been so sure that he could play such a simple game with ease, that when he missed, and the face Daisuke made... it was just so funny. Satoshi had never laughed like that.

His entire life, spending days upon days contemplating on the best way to capture and get close to Dark, Satoshi had never once considered that Dark's tamer would actually become a problem. Daisuke Niwa had never once been put into the equation. He hadn't been considered enemy or friend because, well, he'd just never been considered. And why should he have been? Satoshi wondered, what difference would it make _who_ carried Dark so long as Dark was captured?

But then, throughout the time spent watching Daisuke, he got to know Daisuke, and... maybe even become friends with him a little bit. (Not that Satoshi would have ever admitted it). And whenever he thought about killing Dark... the thought that he would be killing Daisuke along with him actually bothered him a bit. As indifferent as he tried to be toward him, still, Satoshi did not want to see this happy, ignorant boy dead.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ _Okay, so in one episode, Dark calls Satoshi Krad's "tamer" but that's the only time I'd ever heard that expression used. I just wanted to know, is that correct? Daisuke is Dark's tamer, and Satoshi is Krad's? _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own DNAngel. mmhm._

* * *

So, Satoshi waited and watched from the shadows until Daisuke Niwa became a boy of fourteen. Of course, Satoshi knew what would eventually happen to Daisuke, and he knew that the day was steadily approaching - the day that Satoshi would have to kill him.

As for Satoshi himself, well he was a year older than everybody in his grade - he had chosen for it to be that way. It didn't matter that he was a mere year older; the only reason he went back to school at all anyway was to watch Niwa, and that would be basically pointless if the two of them were not at least in the same grade. So, by the time of Daisuke Niwa's fourteenth birthday, Krad had already been active for nearly a year, and also, Satoshi was just beginning to learn what it _really_ meant to carry the Hikari fate on his shoulders.

It was Niwa's fourteenth birthday. Satoshi watched as that idiot Saehara volunteered a glum looking Daisuke into doing his cleaning duties in the art room. Smirking he thought, _it's about time I had a little chat with him._ In the back of his mind, Krad laughed silently and agreed, "Y_es, let's."_

_Who asked you? _Satoshi thought back at him, but Krad only continued to laugh.

There were only a few others assigned to cleaning duty in the art room that night, and on the way to get the card that would unlock the art room door, he told them all that he and Daisuke could handle it, not to worry, and to go home. The other students didn't need to be told twice. They thanked him and left, and Satoshi found himself alone with Niwa, standing behind the other boy as he cracked the lock.

It wasn't until he was already inside that Daisuke noticed him. "H-Hiwatari!" he exclaimed. "D-did you see that?!"

"See what?" Satoshi asked indifferently.

Niwa pointed out one of the paintings as a conversation starter, and then asked, "So what are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Cleaning duty, same as you."

As they began to work, Niwa asked, "So where did the others run off to? Don't you think it's rude they're not helping?" Satoshi smirked. Niwa's conversations always had a funny way of switching from one topic to another. It was one of the redhead's rather annoying traits.

"I told them they didn't have to help."

"Huh?"

"I told them I wanted some time alone with you," Satoshi said slyly, glanced at Daisuke from the side. "Are you free tonight?" He laughed at himself a little inside, because he sounded so... well, perverted. Maybe he was just beginning to acknowledge those deeper feelings for Niwa, or maybe he just liked to mess with him. Either way, the blush on Niwa's face and the expression he made was quite satisfying.

"Oh, um..."

"What's wrong? Do you have something more important to do?"

Niwa hesitated, and when he did speak, he stuttered a little. Another annoying habit. He did that whenever he was frustrated, or surprised. Funny that Satoshi should know these little things about Niwa already, because though they'd been going to school together for almost two years now, they had only had a few conversations between the two of them. "Um, no. Well, you see, today just happens to be my birthday."

Why was he playing like he was so unaware? Daisuke just _had_ to know what was in store for him. Satoshi wondered if Dark was already awoken, but he doubted it, seeing that Krad probably would have informed him if he were. "Hm. Too bad. Well, iguess it can't be helped then."

"Well, what made you pick me?"

Satoshi smiled. Yep, Niwa really thought that he was actually asking him out. It was... comical. "You like paintings as much as I do. I wanted... to talk about things like that." It was as much a lie as it was the truth.

_I'll see you soon... tonight, Dark._ He promised silently. In his head, Krad was grinning maliciously.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own DNAngel_

_**A/N:**__I'm sorry the chapters have been so short so far. I really didn't mean for it to turn out that way. Actually I was really surprised when I put the first two up._

_I'll try to make them longer, promise._

* * *

That night, Satoshi was ready. He had spent the entirety of his life, though only a few short 15 years, preparing for _this_ day. Tonight, he would have his first opportunity to capture and kill Phantom Thief Dark.

It was true though, that since he had met Daisuke, he had become somewhat torn with his life's goal - but only somewhat. Satoshi knew what he had to do though, and if it came to killing Niwa, then that would just have to be that. There was nothing for it now. He _had _to do this. This was his fate. He had to carry out the purpose of the Hikari blood line.

Satoshi had hardened his heart now - not that it hadn't been encase in steel before.

It all came down to this.

* * *

It quickly became apparent that Detective Saehara and his men were fools, but Satoshi and Krad both knew Dark better than they, and so when they were falsely alerted that Dark had escaped through the main entrance, "Chief Commander Hiwatari" was not fooled. And he was right not to be deceived, because nearly as soon as all of the officers were out of the room, Dark threw off his disguise and began to pick the security lock of the Sacred Maiden statue.

"Congratulations," Satoshi said as he stepped into the room from the shadows. "Just like my old friend. Nice to meet you... but we've met before."

There was plain shock on the Phantom Thief's face. He hadn't been expecting to see him, and his eyes turned downward as if he were a child caught in the act. Idly, Satoshi wondered what Daisuke must be thinking.

Without hesitation, Satoshi ran for Dark and pinned him to the ground. The thief went down easily, and even looked almost... frightened. That's when Satoshi realized - Phantom Dark hadn't come out quite yet. "I'm afraid I can't let you go," he hissed in Dark's face. "Your capture provides the sole purpose of my existence. I live for nothing else!" He wished it did not sound so much like he was trying to convince himself. His hands tightly gripped Dark's shoulders.

And then suddenly Satoshi was surrounded by dark feathers. "Now here's the question..." When he was able to look up again, a Dark Mousy was standing to either side of him. "Which one of us... is the real one?"

"There are two of you?" Satoshi said, glancing from one to the other. Taking a wild guess, he lunged for the Dark to his right, and he must have been correct, because the other melted away into black feathers that pulled him back and nearly drowned him. "Dark!"

As Dark flew away with the Sacred Maiden on his back, Satoshi watched him soar across the sky from the very window through which he had escaped. He couldn't help but smirk, though. This feeling - the adrenaline pumping through his veins in such a way - made him feel more alive than he ever had. He was for the most part glad that Dark had gotten away from him this night. Satoshi would have been disappointed if it were so easy to capture such a Legendary Thief. He chuckled. _At least things stay interesting this way,_ he thought.

Satoshi knew that he would see Dark again. He would have many more opportunities to confront him, so this feeling of being so alive did not have to fade just yet. _He_ did not have to fade just yet...

And at least this way, Daisuke Niwa could keep his life a little longer.

* * *

Satoshi had feared that now, with Dark active and stealing artworks freely, Krad would become overexcited and get out of hand, but surprisingly, this did not happen. Though there were brief moments of boredom and impatience from Satoshi's other half, Krad did not try to take over. He was unusually silent for the most part, actually.

Quickly Satoshi determined that Krad had to be up to something, and at this conclusion, Krad himself chuckled darkly in Satoshi's mind. _Must I always be up to no good in your eyes_, he asked. "_You are my other half, and the current owner of this body. Therefore I have to depend on _you_ to do away with Dark. So why would I try to take over?"_

_Liar,_ Satoshi hissed back.

_"Really, you should give me a little more credit... Master Satoshi."_

The saying went that you should never turn your back on your enemy, but Satoshi wondered, how can you turn your back when your enemy was yourself?

* * *

Dark was to steal the brass relief from the tower of the Central Church. The warning letter came in just the day after Dark's first appearance. The thief worked fast, and he was good at his job. Krad scoffed in Satoshi's mind at that, but Satoshi knew better than to underestimate his enemy. He knew perfectly well how good Dark was at doing what he did, and kept it in mind too, so that he himself would not hold back. At these thoughts Krad was silent, and somewhere in that silence Satoshi sensed that Krad knew he was right.

The day at school passed quickly, and for the most part insignificantly. Seeing Niwa, though, and watching him, knowing full well his intent of killing him and Dark at the first chance he could... Satoshi did not feel the tiny pinpricks of guilt that stabbed his gut whenever he saw Niwa's smiling face. He sensed Krad listening in on his thoughts, and watching Daisuke as well, but Satoshi's other half made no comment on it.

It seemed like no time at all had passed before Satoshi was standing before the Central Church that night, discussing the security plan with Detective Saehara. "If I didn't know better," the detective remarked, looking up at the relief, "I'd say the boy genius lost his nerve." Detective Saehara continued to describe the tight security of the place to Satoshi, rambling on about it really, but the man was definitely a fool if he thought that a few men on the rooftops and some spotlights would really be enough to stop Phantom Dark. The man concluded his small rant by calling Dark a fool instead, and suddenly Satoshi felt Krad stirring. Not really paying attention to what he was saying, Satoshi mumbled, "I wonder..." and walked away.

Everything seemed to flash through Satoshi's mind at once, though he wasn't sure why he was reflecting on such things at a time like this. First he saw the deceitful smiling face of his father, and then he thought of Krad, who had turned out quite different than what he had expected before, then of Dark - his enemy, and last of all, he thought of Niwa. Niwa, the klutz, the ignorant, selfless boy with a smiling face and watchful red eyes.

Was Krad stirring now because he knew that Dark was so close? Satoshi didn't know why, but it was gradually getting worse, until he found himself actually straining to keep his other half contained. Krad had never actually taken over Satoshi's body before - or at least, not since his fourteenth birthday of course. For the most part of the year that had passed, Krad had stayed behind the scenes, silently waiting but paying rapt attention to Satoshi's life - especially anything involving Daisuke Niwa. Upon determining that Satoshi was a weak-minded fool, however, Krad had less to say about his intentions for Dark. He was not satisfied with Satoshi, and they disagreed much during the first few months together. Now, they had a solid dislike for one another... and yet, they shared the same goal and purpose in life.

Now Krad was struggling against the barrier which kept him locked away as a voice in Satoshi's mind, and the boy found himself moving away from the crowd of detectives and police officers, gasping for breath behind a nearby building. He clutched at his chest as if that would help keep Krad contained. His other half had never fought so hard before.

"No... too soon..." Satoshi gasped. "I'm not ready for you yet. Just a little longer..."

The bell of the church began to ring, surprising and distracting Satoshi for a moment. It was time for Dark to show, and this was no time for him to be struggling with Krad. Then, the spotlights shining upon the church all began to blink out. Satoshi stepped once more back out into the crowd.

In short order the lights were back on again, and the police really thought nothing suspicious upon seeing the brass relief still safely not-stolen atop the church tower. Satoshi, however, knew that Dark had some tricks up his sleeve, and that the moment of darkness would have been enough for him. Satoshi headed for the church.

Once inside, he walked around aimlessly, watching and listening closely. If Dark had in fact already made his move, then there would be no point in climbing all the way up to the tower to check on the relief. And also, Dark now had to be somewhere inside the building.

It was almost a hopeless campaign on Satoshi's part, considering the size of the church, and the fact that Dark could just jump out of any window and fly away. However, to his surprise and greatest luck, he actually happened to stumble upon a few out of place sounds and shadows from within one of the rooms. Calmly, Satoshi headed toward it.

"Is that you, Dark?" he called. Satoshi felt his eyes narrow. This was it. His next chance to take Dark. However, when he entered the room, there appeared to be no one else inside. Too bad for Dark that Krad could sense him crouching behind the crates in the back. And why would Dark do something like that? What reason could he have for wanting to hide? Was he scared? No, that didn't seem like Dark at all. And what were the chances that Satoshi would just stumble upon him like this anyway? No, he guessed that it was Niwa crouching behind those crates, and Satoshi wasn't quite sure how to react to that. It was Dark whom he was supposed to fight, not Niwa. And for once, Krad agreed with him.

Before Satoshi had a chance to take even a step forward to reveal him however, a blue light began to glow and fill the room. Out of nowhere the brass bird suddenly flew at him, pecking at his arm and face, but not quite hard enough to break the skin. And of course while Satoshi was distracted by the bird, Niwa was able to escape. After a moment, Satoshi was finally able to get the bird away, and after a few moments more, he was able to watch Dark from the open window. The Phantom Thief stood above the treetops, and his hand was glowing with the same blue light as before. He made it seem easy to calm the brass relief, and put it away inside his backpack.

At least it was Dark now, and not Niwa, Satoshi thought, and Krad began to fight to get out again. "_Master Satoshi,"_ his other half cried. "_Let me attack Dark now while he is distracted!"_

_No,_ Satoshi thought firmly, stamping out Krad's attempts as he leaned heavily against the wall. Krad's strength still put him off. _Another day,_ he thought and once he looked back out the window, Dark was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own DNAngel._

* * *

Satoshi was not having the greatest of days. It was an ordinary school day, no new warning letters from Dark yet, and he couldn't decide if that was good or not. Krad was being unusually stubborn, which was a leap considering how stubborn he usually was anyway. Almost idly, Satoshi was following Daisuke through the school's hallways, but the redhead seemed a little out of it. At least that behavior was normal - Niwa always seemed to be a little out of it.

Suddenly, Niwa was yanked out of the hallway into a dark classroom. It surprised Satoshi, so he stayed around the corner in the other hall, waiting for Niwa and his temporary captor to come out. After a few minutes, Niwa suddenly burst out of the room and rushed away, and after a few minutes more, Riku Harada appeared too, looking a little dazed. Idly, Satoshi wondered what they'd been doing in there, and calmly followed the hallway in the direction Niwa had gone. The Harada girl didn't even notice when he passed.

Satoshi turned another corner, and found Niwa in the middle of one of the hallways, just standing there. Satoshi retreated back around the corner, and idly wondered what the redhead could be thinking about. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his chest, and Satoshi leaned heavily against the brick wall. Krad was making a sudden, wild attempt to break free, and this time it was Daisuke he was after.

_"I don't care if it's the boy or Dark himself. What difference does it make?"_ he screamed at Satoshi. Satoshi put his hands on his head. It gave him a headache whenever Krad was being that loud - it wasn't really the volume that bothered him though, it just felt as though Krad were taking over his whole mind, shoving out all other thoughts that Satoshi might be having. Satoshi tried to shove back at his other half, struggling, as he had the day before, to contain him. _"Why don't we capture him now while he's weak and unsuspecting? He'd eventually turn into Dark and then we could kill him!"_

"No," Satoshi gasped, and after a minute, Krad finally drew back, still stirring restlessly. Satoshi peeked back around the corner, only to find that Niwa was walking away again. _As I suspected..._ he thought. _Thinking about him makes me...._

* * *

The night passed insignificantly. For the most part Satoshi watched the news and did his homework, although of course, he wasn't required to do his homework. When he had decided to attend middle school, the principle had advised him that if he was willing to do this, he'd still have to do all of his work and turn it in on time - not that he thought middle grade school work would be a problem for a child who'd already graduated from a University. However, Satoshi could pretty much get away with anything at this school - the teachers all knew his story, and they had all also agreed not to treat him specially, but they usually did anyway. For instance, if he didn't have his work done, they'd let it slide. None of it mattered anyway; not for him.

Although, one thing the principle had said that day was still true - the school work Satoshi was given was no problem for him at all, and usually didn't take any longer than ten minutes to complete. So, he really didn't have much to do that night. The news was saying nothing about Dark either, so he picked up the remote and turned it off. There was nothing of any interest for him on the television unless it had something to do with Dark. Nothing else really caught Satoshi's attention.

Sometimes it did seem like this mission to take down Dark was sucking up Satoshi's life, but he was a Hikari, so what else did he have to live for? That was thinking logically, but on boring night's like this he sort of wished he did have something to do, something else to think about. Then he wouldn't have to worry about being too smart, he wouldn't have to put up with his father, and he wouldn't have to be constantly reminded of his purpose in life, the weight of the Hikari fate on his shoulders, he'd be normal and have friends and....

No. Satoshi had thrown away that line of thought long ago. It didn't do anything good for him. Reminding himself that he had to stay focused on his goal, Satoshi finally went to bed.

* * *

The next day was a bit more unusual. Not significant exactly, just different. The word floating around the school was that Riku Harada had disappeared, just like all those other girls around town who'd been disappearing. Daisuke Niwa seemed glum about it, but Satoshi thought he couldn't be too terribly upset, because it gave him an excuse to follow Risa Harada around everywhere, offering comfort and soothing words.

Satoshi wondered idly what was happening to all those girls. He'd seen it all on the news the night before, but it hadn't really interested him. It wasn't like he had anything to worry about, if it was only girls going missing, and it didn't have anything to do with Dark. Now he wondered, should he do anything about it? It was just a passing thought, one that he immediately discarded. If it didn't have anything to do with Dark, then it didn't have any place for him to stick his nose in. It wasn't any of his business, even if one of his classmates had gone missing.

Still, it was a depressing sort of day. Everyone was talking about it, but they were quiet about it, sad, as if she had died or something. Satoshi couldn't deny that it bothered him a bit, even if he wasn't very worried about Riku Harada. He didn't even really know her. She was just a girl who ended up near Daisuke sometimes because of her sister.

And suddenly Satoshi saw a place where he _might_ be interested in this puzzling situation. Niwa would do anything for Risa Harada, and so if the other Harada sister went missing, wouldn't Niwa have Dark do something about it? Would Dark do it?

For the very first time that Satoshi could remember, he wondered what kind of person Dark must be like. Was he a bastard like Krad? (Krad heard that, and growled threateningly, but Satoshi just ignored him.) Was he anything like Niwa had been expecting he'd be? Or had he taken him by surprise, as Krad had Satoshi? Was Dark nice to Niwa? Did he take his feelings into consideration, or was he as much of a snake as Krad was?

Inside his head, Krad scoffed. It seemed that he had something to say. _"Dark is a weakling and a disgrace. One day, our bodies will be one, and he will no longer exist." _Satoshi listened in on his other half as Krad's thoughts came to him more in pictures than in words. Krad was anticipating the day that Dark would disappear forever, and Krad would never have to see him again. Through Krad's eyes, Satoshi could see Dark's face clearly in his mind.

He supposed that Krad's hatred meant that Dark was his opposite. Perhaps Dark was the good one after all.

Krad smirked again, but it came out as a half-growl. Satoshi's thoughts were making him angry. _"Don't even think about switching sides," _Krad advised darkly.

It was Satoshi's turn to scoff. _How could I possibly switch sides? _he demanded. Krad was his other half, not Dark. He couldn't switch sides even if he wanted to - and he _didn't_ really want to. Sure, it would be nice to have a pleasant other, rather than this evil plotting maniacal one that he was stuck with, but Satoshi was too caught up in his plans to capture Dark. His entire life revolved around taking the Phantom Thief, so how could he possibly do anything other than what he was supposed to?

No, Satoshi was more determined than ever. One day, Dark _would_ be in his grasp, and then....

Well, it wasn't important what happened afterward. There was nothing for Satoshi once Dark was captured. He would have succeeded and... his life would be good as over. He tried not to think about it.

That night when Satoshi got home, he flipped on the TV again, and listened to the reporter talk about the missing girls while he undressed out of his school clothes. The news was soon switched over to another reporter, though, who had information about a new warning letter from Dark.

Satoshi's eyes lit up. That was his cue.

He began to get excited as he sat down at his computer to look up information about the artwork that Dark was supposed to steal, but he remembered to keep a cool head. Unlike the other times, with the previous warning letters, the news reporter hadn't had much to say about the artwork which was supposed to be stolen. They hadn't even given the name of the artwork, just the name of the owner, and that the painting was one of a unicorn.

Satoshi pulled up two different windows for his favorite search engines, and quickly scanned through the pages of useless junk that always came up whenever you typed something in. Finally, he found a website that looked like a reliable one, but under the lists and pictures of artworks by that particular owner, there were none of unicorns, just a small excerpt about the man's daughter.

Satoshi looked and looked, but still found nothing of a painting of a unicorn under that owner's name. He kept the news on, but there was nothing more about Dark's warning letter other than a few small comments. After a while, Satoshi became obsessed, but as much as he searched, he kept coming up with nothing. As far as the internet knew, there was no painting of a unicorn by that man.

Finally, Satoshi sat back in his chair to think. Perhaps the reason why the news reporters hadn't released much information about the artwork was because they didn't know anything about it either. But wouldn't the owner himself get involved? The man was still alive, Satoshi had seen that. And if the artwork existed, the man would want to keep it out of the hands of a phantom thief, wouldn't he?

Surely Dark wouldn't send out a warning letter for something that didn't exist. That would just be stupid, and Dark was anything but. Satoshi began to rock his chair back and fourth - it was a nervous habit. _There must be no public record of the painting,_ Satoshi thought, and wondered if he should get involved. _I'm supposed to be observing the detectives in the field again...._

Inside his head, Krad laughed. _"Yes, let's see how our good friend Dark Mousey is doing tonight."_

For a moment, Satoshi considered that. As head of Dark Counter Measures, he had a job to do, to oversee everything that the detectives on the case were doing, and if they were doing it right. And the situation with the unknown painting was quite puzzling.

He smirked. "Not tonight," he said aloud, and switched off his computer. Krad, who had been growing excited with each passing minute, growled inside his head. Amused with himself, Satoshi prepared to take a shower.

* * *

Later that night, long after his shower and just before he was getting into bed, Satoshi flipped on the news one last time, and after a minute the reporter on the screen began telling him about how the police had questioned the owner of the painting that Dark was supposed to steal. "Strangely, the owner himself said that the painting didn't exist! Did Phantom Thief Dark send out a warning letter under false pretenses? Or did he really make a mistake and threaten to steal something that doesn't exist? This has been reporter Yuki Suzaki, now back to you in the studio."

Satoshi hit the button on the remote and the screen went blank. He wondered if Dark had already made his move.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own DNAngel. plain n simple._

_**A/N: **__Sorry, this story got put on hold for a while to make way for some of my Naruto stories. *__*_

_And to make up for my lack of updates for the past... couple of weeks?... I present to you an unusually long chapter... although I still couldn't fit the whole episode in. T^T_

* * *

He'd had a rough night, and Krad was getting so much worse. At school that day, every time he even glanced in Daisuke Niwa's direction, Krad tried to escape. Several people had asked him if he was sick, one including Niwa himself. It was because he'd been sweating with the effort at keeping Krad contained, and wouldn't they all be surprised if he just exploded into a demon with an angel's face right there in the middle of the classroom?

Eventually, one of the teachers sent him to the nurse's office with a note, despite his assurances that he was fine. He made the nurse leave him alone too though. He insisted that he was okay, he just needed to sit down for a minute. So at least he'd had time to sit and relax - away from Niwa, away from anyone. Time to think and breathe while Krad seethed inside his mind like a poison. Satoshi's other half was getting tired with being trapped inside Satoshi's body. It had been almost a year since he'd awoken, a year since he'd even been out at all. Krad was getting impatient. He wanted Dark, and he wanted to be free. And Satoshi just worried about what it would be like later in the night, because Krad's strength always seemed to grow in the darkness.

Satoshi had been right to worry.

The night had been hell, and he hadn't gotten any sleep. He'd struggled blindly, knocking books from shelves, and throwing the mouse and keyboard from his computer desk. There been times when Krad seemed to calm a bit, and Satoshi had tried to take a bath. However, as soon as he was in the water, Krad momentarily took hold of his body, and taken off guard, Satoshi didn't have time to put any of his defenses up. Out of irrational anger, Krad had tried to drown Satoshi, not thinking at all that Satoshi dying meant that _he_ would also be dead.

Satoshi had managed to throw his other self off again so that he could breathe, but it had definitely been a close one. _I can't let down my guard again...._

After that incident, Krad had begun to fight even harder than ever, tasting victory in his grasp but _just_ unable to get a hold of it, and Satoshi was plunged into a world of pain, unable to breathe, unable to think. He'd never had a chance to put his clothes back on.

Finally, finally, after a night of pain that had seemed like it was going to last forever, light began to show dimly in the sky outside, and Krad weakened.

Exhausted, Satoshi sat on his bed with his head down and his eyes closed, losing track of time until the morning light shone brightly through his window like a blessing from above. Perhaps he should skip school today. It wasn't like it would matter anyway, and he wanted to _sleep_. "What a night," he said to himself, holding one of his hands before his face. Beams of light shone in between his fingers. "I'm just barely myself this morning."  
One final, weak wave of pain rolled over him as Krad tried one last attempt to break free. Satoshi clenched his hand into a tight fist, breathing hard as he fought Krad back. A tiny noise distracted him then, and he glanced over to see that his cell phone was buzzing. The only person with Satoshi's cell phone number was his father....

* * *

Satoshi had his limo driver take him to his father's mansion - the place where Satoshi himself had once lived. He didn't think anything significant of having a limo and a personal driver. He supposed that he could get his own license and a nice car if he really felt like it, but why deny such simple pleasures when he had them at his disposal? It's the way his life had always been. Besides, being behind the wheel of a car made him nervous, and he wanted to at least wait until he was the proper age, as all normal kids have to do.

In no time he was there, standing before his father's office door and sighing heavily, just as he always did whenever the man called on him.

Though he probably didn't have to, and it would probably tick his father oof to do otherwise, Satoshi knocked politely and said, "Hello?" before entering. His father looked up absently from his paper work, and a smile instantly lit up his face when he saw who it was. "You wished to see me, father?" Satoshi asked coldly. He didn't play games, like his father did.

"Satoshi! It's been so long!" the man said in false happiness at seeing his son. He was practically dripping with ill intent. Satoshi's father began making his way over to him, arms outstretched, and Satoshi had half a mind to turn around and run before he could get any closer. "I'm sorry I've kept you isolated like that."

His father's embrace was not what it used to be. Yes, there had been a time when Satoshi's father had loved him, and there had been a time when the man was a proud father. A time that seemed so long ago now, when Satoshi's father would take time off work, and they would spend days together just hanging out. Satoshi's father had always been fascinated by watching Satoshi paint. In fact, in the very office where they stood now, the walls had once been adorned with several of Satoshi's artworks from when he was a child.

However, over time, the paintings were the only things that Satoshi's father had become interested in, and despite being little over a child, Satoshi had entered college. Suddenly, father and son had no time for one another, as Satoshi breezed through his classes, and his father sat locked up in his office anticipating the praise that would surely come his way for all of his son's hard work. In fact, it had been Satoshi's father who had suggested that he go to college in the first place. Of course, all of Satoshi's special doctors and therapists that he'd had at the time - monitoring his strange fast-paced progression in life - agreed that he should go, as long as he was willing.

At the time, Satoshi had known that it would be something special, something that would make his father proud again, because even then he could sense his father turning cold. So, Satoshi had agreed to go, though he hadn't really wanted to. He'd wanted to be normal, to play with people his own age, who he never seemed to fit in with.... All the doctors had said, "You can never be normal Satoshi. You're special." But he hadn't felt very special. And somehow, Satoshi had ended up focusing even more intently on making his goal in life to capture the Phantom Thief.

"You'll be free once Dark's captured," his father said then, as if reading his mind and imitating his reminiscing.

"Can't breathe," Satoshi complained. Of course he hadn't bothered to hug his father back. Sometimes he wondered why the man even bothered to pretend that he still care, but then he remembered. His father liked the attention he received at having a genius for a son, and even more than that he knew that pretending to love him got on Satoshi's nerves.

"What?" his father asked now, giving him another little squeeze. Yeah. He definitely liked to irritate.

"You're squeezing me too hard," Satoshi muttered, and was finally free of his father's stiff embrace.

"Oh... sorry," the man half laughed. "It's just been so long since I've seen you. I wanted to give you a hug. This has been hard on both of us."

"It's okay, father," Satoshi replied, barely listening to his father's words in the first place.

"So how's the work coming along?" the man asked conversationally. And so here it was, the real reason why he had called Satoshi here. "It would be nice if you could capture Dark alive." Of course, if Satoshi managed to capture Dark, it would only mean more praise thrown his father's way. "I'm not trying to pressure you or anything. It's just you keep sending me reports saying that no progress has been made. I guess I was hoping there was something more you could tell me."  
_I'll capture Dark, _Satoshi thought. _But I won't do it for you._

"Not really," he said aloud. "Nothing worth mentioning anyway."

"I see," his father said. The false care returning once more, he placed his hands on Satoshi's shoulders. Satoshi glanced around at the room, and couldn't help but notice how bare the walls were. His father had long taken his paintings down. He only cared about Dark's capture now. "Well, take your time. I'm sure you'll think of something." The thought of Dark's capture had completely consumed the man, and unlike Satoshi he didn't care how many people he'd have to step on or kill to get to it.

Suddenly his father hugged him again. Ugh. "Then I guess we'll be saying goodbye again for now."

"Anything else?" Satoshi made the excuse of being late for school so that he could finally escape. Somehow, he felt like he would never truly be free of his father. It was... an unsettling thought.

His father, being the kind of father that he was, insisted that he wouldn't keep Satoshi, despite how much he'd been saying he'd missed him just moments before. His father hadn't approved of him going back to middle school at first - at least, not until he learned that it was in order to get closer to Daisuke Niwa. Then he'd been all for it, of course.

As Satoshi left for school, he could only imagine what his father must be thinking now.

* * *

Satoshi was still thinking about his father when he got to school, and that was never a good thing. The more he thought about the man, the angrier he became. And he was tired too. His body was exhausted from fighting with Krad all night, damn him.

Too lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the girls whispering about him behind their hands as he made his way down the hall to his classroom. He was surprised when none other than Daisuke Niwa himself caught up with him. "Hey," the redhead said to him. "Is something wrong?" Satoshi couldn't believe that there was actual concern in the other boy's eyes. Why did Niwa go out of his way to care about him when he _knew_ that Satoshi's goal in life was to capture him and Dark? Didn't he think that it was kind of dangerous to just walk up to him and say hello?

"No. Why?" Satoshi replied.

"No reason really... except you don't seem yourself much lately." Satoshi watched the boy as a smile appeared on Niwa's face, and Daisuke ran off to his class, advising Satoshi not to be late.

What a strange guy. He really made no sense.

The redhead tripped halfway down the hallway. How typical. Simple, clumsy Daisuke Niwa. But Satoshi knew another side of him, a side that most other people didn't see. Daisuke's other half. No one would ever suspect at all that the boy was really....

"Excuse me!" a girl cried out from behind a little while later, and Satoshi turned to see _two_ girls approaching him. "This is for you!" the one with the brown hair stammered, handing him a letter and bowing her head.

"You don't have to respond if you like," her friend said, a look of pleading in her eyes. "But she'd had a crush on you for so long-"

"I'm sorry," Satoshi interrupted. "But I really don't have time for this." He walked away without a backward glance.

Satoshi didn't even consider that the girl might be heart broken. Of course he couldn't get involved with her. He doubted he even knew her name. Maybe she was in one of his classes? It's not like he paid much attention to any of his classmates - other than Niwa, of course. He just didn't have the time or patience to put up with girls like her. He might have thought she was pretty, if he ever decided to look at her again, but she'd looked kind of stupid too. All girls looked stupid now, especially after attending college with adults. Sometimes the immaturity of Satoshi's classmates aggravated him.

Satoshi followed where he had seen Niwa go... into one of the empty computer labs. He tried the door. Locked. Glancing around to make sure that no one was paying any attention to him, Satoshi smirked slightly as he cracked the lock and slipped silently inside.

Niwa was sitting at one of the computers in the back, and he looked like he was concentrating hard on whatever it was he was doing. Satoshi crossed the room silently, and stood a ways behind Niwa so that he could see what he was doing. A look of surprise crossed Niwa's face, and then Satoshi saw that the other boy was looking at _his_ profile.

Satoshi smirked, and put a hand on the back of Niwa's chair. He lowered his head so that he could put his face near the other boys'. "Are you really that interested in me?" he asked with a smile as Niwa gasped and said hello. "You were so into all this that you didn't hear me coming up right behind you, did you Niwa?"

An innocent tone immediately entered Niwa's voice as he replied. "Why no I didn't. I was sure I'd locked the door behind me." He looked so honestly guilty that it made Satoshi want to laugh. Cute. Daisuke Niwa was very... cute.

"I do know a few tricks," he said in the redhead's ear. "But not as many as you do."

"There you are!" someone cried, and the two of them looked up to see Risa Harada silhouetted in the doorway. Satoshi sighed a little. How unpleasant.

Of course, Niwa was up and at her side in an instant, making a quick excuse to Satoshi so that he could leave with her. "Let's go Miss Harada!' the redhead exclaimed, and they were gone.

Also very typical. Satoshi had watched Niwa closely enough over the past few years to know that the guy was in love with Risa Harada. Satoshi's own impression of the girl was that she was very demanding and selfish. She was cute he supposed, but annoyed him enough that he almost couldn't stand to look at her. The girl never missed a chance to take advantage of Niwa's quiet adoration of her. It made Satoshi angry. People shouldn't have the power to play with others like that. And Niwa was so stupid to go along with it, time and time again. He had to know that nothing would ever come of it.

In silence, Satoshi took Niwa's seat and worked to pull up what the boy had been looking at. He had it on the screen in just a minute, still thinking about that look of concern that had been on Niwa's face that morning, and the simple innocent guilt he had portrayed just a moment before when Satoshi had caught him looking at his profile.

"He seems absentminded," Satoshi thought. "But he gained access to almost all of my data.... I _can't_ take him lightly. Maybe I'll try... a direct confrontation."

In silence, Krad listened to Satoshi's thoughts in anticipation. Satoshi could feel his other half growing excited.

* * *

Satoshi watched Niwa and Risa Harada chatting in the courtyard of the school. From where he stood, Satoshi couldn't hear what they were saying, but it looked... almost as if they were arguing about something. The plain look of admiration and sympathy on Niwa's face was quite frankly, sickening.

He watched in silence as they bantered back and fourth, and Satoshi was guessing that the topic of conversation had something to do with the boxed lunch on the ground at Harada's feet. She looked embarrassed and sad, and Niwa just looked... like he was prepared to jump in front of a bullet for her or something. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Suddenly, Risa said something that caused a look of total surprise and devastation to cross Niwa's face. Satoshi rolled his eyes at his _own_ concern, because a tiny part of him wanted to demand to know what she had said to cause such a reaction from Niwa.

After a short minute, Niwa was standing, looking rather depressed. This was what Satoshi had been waiting for.

He turned and headed back inside the building as Niwa started his way. Satoshi ran ahead of him, knowing exactly where Niwa was headed because the boy had left his school bag in the classroom. Sure enough, after a moment there he was, trudging slowly down the hallway. Satoshi picked up the stack of empty boxes he'd left on the floor, in preparation for what he was going to do.

Niwa was staring down at the floor, not paying even a scrap of attention to where he was going. Well, that just made Satoshi's job a little easier. He wouldn't even have to try very hard. So... he waited until Niwa was _just_ where he wanted him, steeled himself, and carelessly walked right into the other boy.

Satoshi allowed most of the boxes to fall out of his arms as Niwa snapped back to reality and began apologizing. "Are you okay?" the redhead demanded. Satoshi had actually knocked him off his feet.

"Yes. I think so," Satoshi replied, and it was a little hard not to be amused.

Just as he'd suspected he'd do, Niwa offered to help carry some of the boxes. Typical, typical. Daisuke Niwa was distinguishingly nice.

The freezer in the building nearby was their destination. They walked past the girl's sports team stretching and practicing as they made their way over to it, Niwa trailing along behind just as Satoshi had planned. "How'd you get stuck doing this?" Niwa asked as Satoshi opened up the big freezer door. It was heavy. That was good. "Did you get in trouble or something?" Satoshi simply ignored his questions.

"Sure is cold in here," Niwa stated as they set the boxes down. He really didn't seem to have any problem at all with just chatting on, even if Satoshi didn't reply.

"Negative twenty degrees Celsius, to be exact."

Satoshi had rigged the door to shut and lock behind them on its own, and right then, it did. Niwa rushed to it in a sudden panic, and Satoshi followed suit. "It's no use," Satoshi told him, slipping false panic in with his own voice. "It seemed to have locked itself automatically. We're completely shut in."

He watched Niwa carefully as the redhead continued to pointlessly call for help. "No one's there," Satoshi said impatiently. For a short moment, he wondered if his plan would even work... but it would have to, if Niwa became cold enough. Satoshi had to admit, it wasn't exactly foolproof, this plan of his. But he wanted to talk to Dark, and anyway, there was no chance of being locked in here forever.... Dark would eventually emerge. He would have to let them out sometime, if he didn't want Daisuke to die. Not to mention that Satoshi was the only one who knew how to unlock the door from the inside now. So even if he became cold as well, there was nothing for Satoshi to worry about.

After a moment, Niwa attempted to crack the lock. Well, well. The boy was showing off a bit of his thieving side. Satoshi hadn't thought he'd even go that far, but he'd known there was a possibility. That's why he'd been careful with the lock. "Looks like you'll have to be more creative than that," he said, somewhat amused.

Niwa stared down at the lock, looking puzzled. Satoshi thought, it was the first time he'd seen the guy looking so serious. Niwa actually looked like he was in business - for once, not a bit foolish or empty headed. Satoshi thought, he liked this Daisuke better.

"Negative twenty degrees Celsius," Satoshi repeated, looking down at the temperature. "Don't your fingers feel numb?"

_Continue taunting him, _Krad urged. _Make him show us Dark._

"We need to keep moving around," Daisuke said, rubbing his arms for warmth. "Hey, I've got it. Maybe we should run around while trying to think of a way out of here."

"I don't think so," Satoshi replied. "Breathing in the frigid air might freeze both our lungs. No, I don't see any way out of this... unless one of us goes by the name of Dark." Krad laughed at that while Satoshi eyed Daisuke's reaction.

A look of shock crossed the redhead's face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"A joke," Satoshi said, looking away. "I thought I'd lighten the mood."

Satoshi could almost see the little wheels turning inside Niwa's head as the boy realized what Satoshi was doing. He had to know now that Satoshi was pushing him to change into Dark. Maybe this was finally it. _It's only a matter of time now,_ Satoshi thought darkly. _Remember, kindness is a weakness._

Suddenly, a sharp jolt from inside his chest made him double over in pain. Krad again - and suddenly it was almost as bad as it had been the night before. "No, not now," Satoshi grunted, and he fell to his knees.

"What's wrong Hiwatari?" Niwa cried, rushing to his side. "You alright?"

"Cold..." Satoshi gasped. Of course he'd known that it would be cold. That was the whole point. He'd known that it'd be cold, but he'd also known that he wouldn't be in the freezer for very long, not if Dark decided to show himself. Still, that had been planning and thinking logically - that had been _before_ they'd actually been in the freezer. Even while he knew it was -20, he still hadn't expected it to be quite like this. Satoshi's body had never dealt very well with temperature extremes - he became weak whenever he was too hot or too cold. And now, his fingers really were going numb, and Krad was taking advantage of the situation. _"I will do things my way now," _Satoshi's other half purred, and Satoshi cringed, falling into Niwa's lap, still clutching at his chest in pain.

Krad could sense Dark stirring somewhere inside Niwa, and Satoshi's other half began to struggle even more violently. It took everything that Satoshi had just to keep him at bay....

Satoshi pulled at a handful of Niwa's shirt, using the redhead's leg as a support to push himself up. "S-sorry..." he gasped, sitting with his back against the freezer and trying to catch his breath, "I'm not handling this very well, am I?" It was somewhat embarrassing.

Niwa said something about being careful not to strain himself, and once again Satoshi found himself wondering _why_ he cared. Finally, Krad was settling back a little, but he was still more restless now then he had been before. _The closer they get, the more they try to take control, _Satoshi thought. _Either way, at a time like this...._

He was so close. He was so close to capturing Dark _himself_, without any help from anybody. So close to having Dark Mousey in his grasp once and for all.

Satoshi was surprised out of his thoughts when suddenly Niwa put an arm around his shoulders and scooted close. If it hadn't been so cold, Satoshi probably would have blushed. "We should try to keep as close as possible," Niwa said with an embarrassed smile. "...to conserve heat."

Satoshi didn't really know what to think about that, so he stayed silent. It felt weird to have Niwa's arm around him, to be in such close contact with another human being. Satoshi just wasn't used to the close proximity. He'd always been a loner. He didn't like to be close to people - physically or otherwise.

"By the way..." Niwa said after a quiet minute. "Why are you still in school?"

"What do you mean why?" He wasn't used to talking to people like this either. Satoshi hadn't exactly thought out this part of the plan - the waiting. Because he hadn't thought that there would _be _much waiting. The freezer was cold, they were locked in with no way out - of course Dark would appear, if he wanted to save Niwa. So Satoshi hadn't exactly been expecting to run into a conversation here. He didn't usually have real conversations with people - at least, not the serious, one-on-one kind. He discussed things with the police group he was in command of. Occasionally he was forced into those talks with his _father_. But other than that, Satoshi was just not a social person. It was strange to him, almost surreal - Niwa's closeness, and they way his voice spoke so casually, conversationally. Niwa was perfectly at ease here. Satoshi felt like he was walking on thin ice. Things like this came very close to friendship, to actually _caring_....

"You've already got a college degree," Niwa explained. "What's the point in attending middle school again?" The redhead sounded honestly curious, just as he had seemed honestly worried about Satoshi that morning.

Satoshi had to think for a minute. What could he say to that? Of course he couldn't tell the truth - Niwa, even being the idiot that he was, should be able to figure that out for himself. Why did he _think_ Satoshi was attending middle school - _this_ particular middle school? Still, Satoshi had to say something, so he dug around in his brain for something that sounded credible. "Hiwatari?" Niwa asked.

"I don't know," he sighed finally, unsure of what else to say. "I guess I wanted to see what it was like to be a normal fourteen year old."

"That's a relief," Niwa said with a little smile. "I thought that there was something wrong with you."

...That did it.

Satoshi shoved Niwa away with a rough push and got to his feet. His arms were shaking - he really didn't do well in the cold. For some reason, Niwa's innocence, his seemingly ignorance and empty-headed concern just got on his nerves all the sudden. Suddenly he was just so angry, so irritated. Why did Niwa bother to pretend like this all the time? Was he just messing with Satoshi, trying to get to him? What did he want out of this? Did Niwa honestly think that the two of them could be _friends_?

"Hey! What's gotten into you?" Niwa demanded from the floor.

"Stay away from me!" Satoshi told him, but his voice didn't come out as strong as he had meant for it to. It was so cold.... "I don't need any friends, you got it? And I especially don't need to be friends with the likes of you!"

A little offended, and puzzled it seemed, Niwa looked as though he were lost for words. "But I was... we were.... Hey look, I was just trying to keep warm alright?" Niwa looked so sincerely taken aback that it made Satoshi want to... well, he didn't know. It was just frustrating.

"You idiot! You don't get it?' How did Niwa think that the two of them could be friends? Really? With Dark and Krad possessing their bodies, there was no chance of such a thing.

"What's your problem?" Niwa demanded. "As I recall, _you _were the one who was so interested in a friendship."

A surprising thought came to him then, suddenly shattering Satoshi's entire image of Daisuke Niwa. Did he really not have a clue? Could Niwa _really_ be unaware of Krad's existence...? "Don't you know?" he asked slowly. "You and I are...."


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: **__Not the longest and most interesting chapter in the world, but I've had it down on paper for a while, and decided to finally type it up. Hope this craves satisfaction for a little while. It probably won't, but I do try. T^T_

* * *

Satoshi cringed, unable to finish his sentence. Krad was fighting again. _"I want out of this body!" _he growled. Satoshi should have felt his growing agitation, but had been too caught up in the goings on with Niwa to notice. _"This damn prison!"_

Satoshi grabbed at his chest as it surged in pain. It was sickening the way that Daisuke yelled his name in panic, stepping toward him. And with every step, Niwa was bringing Krad and Dark nearer together. "Don't come any closer!" Satoshi warned. He could already feel Krad taking over, his other half's blinding triumph as he gained possession over Satoshi's weakened body. Through the pain of those huge white wings burst from the skin on his back, Satoshi did not even notice himself throw his glasses to the floor. Agony ripped through him, even as he tried to stay calm, tried to stay focused. Satoshi struggled to regain control, knowing full well that it was already too late.

Krad was going to _kill _Niwa.

Darkness enveloped him, and Satoshi was shoved into the farthest corners of his own mind.

* * *

...

* * *

He did not gain consciousness of what was going on again until... well, he wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed, but he felt stronger now, and he would use that to his advantage. There was no cold inside his mind - for the moment, he had no body to be pained.

Through Krad's yellow eyes, he could see Dark standing there in Niwa's shredded school uniform, rushing Krad's way, and Satoshi's other half was gathering his power. "That's the Dark I know," the blonde demon remarked, and raised one single white feather.

_"Enough!" _Satoshi screamed inside his mind, pushing himself out the way that he felt Krad always doing to him. _"You're going to have to take control of my body some other day."_ He watched, elated, as the white feather in Krad's hand dissolved into nothing.

"You let your guard down!" And Dark was suddenly there, his sudden attack surprising both Krad and Satoshi.

With the last of his strength, Satoshi mentally pushed, and shoved himself back into his own body once again. Krad let up, just a little... and seemed satisfied enough with his exploits with Dark to retreat, and even as he slid back into his own self, Satoshi lost consciousness once more.

Awareness faded sickeningly in and out for a while - the sudden sense of having full control of his body again hit him hard. It was back to feeling every pain, every stab of the cold, and a headache coming on, too. Someone was touching him now, moving him around, and someone else was saying something.

Only three little, tiny words came clearly through the fog of Satoshi's mind - Niwa's strained and quiet voice, asking, "How is Hiwatari?"

Someone was picking Satoshi up, and Satoshi himself didn't get to hear the reply to Niwa's question. However, the redhead's voice stayed with him in the troubled dreams that were to follow, haunting him with those honest, concerned red eyes.

* * *

A day or two had passed - Satoshi was losing track of time, but he felt better. Krad was behaving himself for the most part, and didn't talk as much anymore. That, at least, was a relief.

Somewhat bitterly depressed, Satoshi watched as the train left the station. He'd tried to catch Niwa on his way to school, but it was too late. He'd already missed him.

...or had he? Niwa himself suddenly rushed out of the station, surprising him. The redhead looked a little panicked. "Hey, you need a ride?" Satoshi called, forcing his voice to come out sounding pleasant. He'd done... a lot of thinking, in the time that had passed since that time spent in the freezer. When he reflected back on everything, it made some sense that Niwa had not known about Krad before. It wasn't that the redhead had been trying to be sly or deceiving about it at all - really, Satoshi should have known, Niwa was too dense for such things. His face was too honest, and his emotions only ever flickered across his features anyway.

But then... that also meant that Niwa had truly wanted to be friends with him. He'd been accepting of Hiwatari, _not _in a confusing _"I know we're born rivals, let's be nice to one another anyway" _kind of way. When he'd been concerned before, he'd honestly been concerned. When he'd wanted to talk to Satoshi or get close to Satoshi, it had been out of the sheer desire to do so - it had had nothing to do with the secret they shared.

Niwa smiled a little at Satoshi's offer, looking rather relieved, and also a little anxious, as he climbed into the limo with him.

"I told them the freezer incident was due to a malfunction in the cooling system," Satoshi explained on their way to drop Niwa off at school. The other boy's eyes were worried, examining Satoshi closely for any sign that anything might be wrong. It made Satoshi a little self-conscious. Even _now _that Niwa _knew_ they were rivals...? Daisuke Niwa was a strange boy indeed.

"Um... good," Niwa replied. "But how are _you _doing?"

"Fine," Satoshi replied simply, and suddenly everything seemed a little bit surreal. He wasn't used to being on such a personal level with people. He wasn't used to those questioning, worried eyes, and pleasant conversations. Now that he and Niwa were finally being open with one another, actually acknowledging the fact that there was a deeper connection between the two of them than just simple _schoolmates_, Satoshi felt far too exposed... somehow. "Anyway, I have to leave for a while."

"What?" Niwa asked quietly.

"My plan got a little bit... out of hand. But irregardless of that, well see... there's something I must do. I think it's better if I stay away."

Satoshi didn't watch Niwa's reaction. He couldn't bear it any longer. Those eyes... he felt like they saw too much, asked too much of him. Satoshi just couldn't do it. This was his decision. He'd already planned it all out.

When they arrived at the school, and Niwa got out, Satoshi simply rolled his window down to say goodbye. No. He would not be attending school with Niwa _this_ day - or any day for a good while. "So..." he said.

"Well, thanks," Niwa said quietly, and those eyes of his were sad again. It truly did feel as if they were saying goodbye - they would be leaving something behind this day. Everything was about to get much more serious.

"We'll meet again soon," Satoshi reminded him. He still didn't know if Niwa was aware of his intentions. Probably not. Though Satoshi had done everything but tell him flat out, could Niwa guess that his one goal in life was to capture and kill Dark Mousey?

"Yeah. Right."

The limo pulled away, but Satoshi asked the driver to stop not far away, so that he could still see the entrance of the school. In complete silence, Satoshi watched his only friend's retreating back as the redhead walked away. "Drive," he said bluntly, once the redhead had fully disappeared within the crowd. From this point on, things between he and Daisuke Niwa could _never_ be the same.


End file.
